Record card feeding apparatus



Nov. 8, 1955 e. v. A. MALMROS ETAL 2,723,118

RECORD CARD FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 27, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS GUSTAV V.A. MALMROS EDMUND A. B RBERJR ATTORNEY Nov. 8, 1955 G. v. A. MALMROS ETAL 2,723,113

RECORD CARD FEEDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS GUSTAV V.A. MALMROS EDMUND A. BA BERMR BY g,

ATTORNEY FIG.2

Nov. 8, 1955 MALMROS ETA!- 2,723,118

RECORD CARD FEEDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 27, 1951 FIG.3

INVENTORS m %R R M Ayn N m A vm. m N A AJ D GE United States Patent Ofiice 2,723,118 Patented Nov. 8, 19 55 RECORD CARD FEEDING APPARATUS Gustav V. A. Malmros, Binghamton, and Edmund A. Barber, Jr., Johnson City, N. Y., assignors to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 27, 1951, Serial No. 263,536

8 Claims. (Cl. 271-44.)

This invention relates generally to improved devices for feeding record cards, such as are used in tabulating systems. In machines of this class it is customary to feed the records one by one from a stack in a magazine, and the principal object of the present invention is to provide improved devices for feeding such records.

In the record controlled accounting machine art, it is common practice to feed records out of the magazine by means of reciprocating pickers which are operated under the stack of records. These pickers are formed with a short blade or shoulder that extends upward far enough to engage the edge of one card but falls short of engaging a second card. The pickers are operated in synchronism with the other parts of the machine, and the card engaged by the pickers is pushed before them through the throat of the magazine and then between feeding and sensing rollers. The pickers work satisfactorily when cooperating with records of substantial thickness and records which are perfect in shape. However, when thin records or records which have been bent or warped are encountered, they tend to buckle when pushed at one edge and then ride over the picker blade to stall the feeding operation.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a card feeding mechanism which will obviate the difliculties encountered heretofore because of variations in the dimensions and condition of the card at the time of feeding.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of feeding devices of a universal nature for cooperating with cards of various thicknesses making it possible to feed thin flexible cards as well as cards that are thicker and comparatively rigid.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a reciprocating card gripper finger having a knife member and a cooperating extension member which is urged in an ovoidal path to bring the knife member and extension member into cooperation With a stack of record cards in order to feed a card by conventional card pushing means after the gripper finger is moved in a direction inwardly toward the card stack and downwardly to separate the bottom card from the stack.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved card feeding mechanism to feed cards having variations in thickness, length or width and cards that have been folded, thereby eliminating the necessity of an adjustable throat device to accommodate cards of various dimensions and reducing the incidence of card jams in the throat area.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of examples, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a sectional side elevation of a portion of a portion of a tabulating machine, showing the improved card feeding device applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of'a tabulating machine, partlyin section, showing the improved card feeding device applied and the driving connections therefor.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail elevation views showing the card gripper fingers from the front and side respectively.

The improved feeding device of the present invention has been shown in connection with the card sorting machine disclosed in the U. S. patent to E. A.F0ld, 'No. 1,741,985, issued December 31, 1929, although it is equally well adapted for use upon other types of tabulating machines. 1

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the card magazine is formed with a base plate 10 and side guide plates 11 and 12. Other vertical guides are provided in the form of a pair of rear card guides (not shown) and front extension 13. The throat opening which allows records to enter the machine is located between the lower edge of front extension 13 and base plate 10. j The dotted outline 15 illustrates how a stack of record cards 16 is confined within the walls of the magazine. In Fig. 1 it is seen that a weight or plate 17 is placed on the top of the stack of records 16 so that the last few records are urged into cooperation with the feeding devices which operate underneath the stack. The base plate 10 is cut out to provide two channels in which sliding card pushers 18 reciprocate. A V-shaped notch designated 19 is cut in each vertical side of each channel and is adapted to receive a slide rib 18a extending from each side wall of sliding pushers 18. It should be understood that a card may be fed into the machine after it has been separated from the stack 16 by other card pushing or pulling mechanisms and is not limited to the card pushers shown herein.

The pair of pushers 18 (Fig. 2) are reciprocated on each machine cycle by means of driving connections which are geared to, and synchronize with, the other parts of a machine such as thesorter of the for'ementioned U. S. patent to E. A. Ford. Attached to the main drive shaft 9 of the machine is a right angle worm gear 20 in mesh with a worm wheel 21 fastened to a shaft 22 which rides in an extension of base plate 10 and in a bearing block 23. Pivotally mounted at one end on shaft 22 is an eccentric link 24, the other end of which is articulated at 25 on one of a pair of arms 26, both of which are connected to an oscillated shaft 27 carried in fixed bearing 28 secured on the machine. The upper ends of arms 26 are notched to engage wrist pins 29 pivoted near the front ends of the pushers 18. The bottom of each pusher 18 is formed with an opening through which an arm 26 projects to engage a wrist pin 29. Upon each cycle of operation of gears 20 and 21, the eccentric link 24 makes a complete revolution and in so doing rocks'the arms26. The pushers 18 are reciprocated by arms 26, being moved first toward the left (Fig. If) and then back again toward the right into normal position. A blade member 30 is secured to one end of each pusher 13 for engaging the card separated from the stack 16 by'a pair of card gripper fingers on each machine cycle. The pushers 18 cooperate with the card gripper fingers described hereinafter to push a card between the machine feed rollers 31 shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1. The feed rollers 31 in turn advance the card between contact roller 32 and sensing brush 33.

Referring again toFig. 2, fastened at the junctions of the side plates 11 and 12 and the front extension 13 are bars 34 and 35 which replace the adjustable throat assembly previously used in machines of this type. Positioned at either side. of the card magazine inside of side plates 11 and 12 and. extending through openings in base plate 10 are the novel card gripper fingers 40 which comprise the present invention. These fingers are shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5 and it is noted that they comprise a pair of spring strips 36 and 37 spaced in parallel relationship by a trio of spacers 38 and fixed together as an assembly by rivets 39. It is seen from Fig. 4 that the upper end of the inner spring strip 37 is bent to form an extension 37a at approximately a right angle with the remaining portion of the strip 37. The upper end of outer spring strip 36 is bent over toward spring strip 37 and has a knife edge 36a extending slightly above the extension 37a of strip 37. Extension 37a acts to engage the under surface of the bottom card while the knife edge 36a separates the bottom card from the stack 16. The card is gripped between knife edge 36a and extension 37a of each card gripper finger 40 and pulled down below the lower extremities of bars 34 and 35 as explained hereinafter.

Each card gripper finger 40 is slidably mounted at its upper end on a stud 41 (Figs. 1 and 2) projecting from a block 58 secured to the machine below base plate 10. The lower extremities of gripper fingers 40 are mounted on a pair of driving studs 42 fixed eccentricaliy upon a pair of rotatable discs 43. A coil spring is wound around each gripper finger 4i and extends between stud 42 and lower spacer 38 which is provided with side extensions projecting beyond the sides of the spring strips 36 and 37. Springs 44 serve as resilient connections between the driving studs $2 and the gripper fingers 49.

The card gripper fingers 40 are driven from the main drive shaft 9 of the machine through worm gear 20 (Fig. 2) which is in mesh with worm wheel 21 to rotate shaft 22 as previously explained. A spur gear 45 is fastened to shaft 22 outside of worm gear 21 and meshes with a gear 46 fastened to a shaft 47 which is mounted for rotation in bearing blocks 48 and 49. These bearing blocks are secured on a cross plate 50 which is supported between lugs 51 and 52 extending from the machine side frames. Shaft 47 carries secured thereto a pair of bevel gears 53 each of which is in mesh with a mating bevel gear 54 fastened to one end of a short shaft 55. Also, secured on plate 5t are a pair of bearing blocks 56 which rotatably support shafts 55. Fixed to the other end of each shaft 55 is the disc 43 which transmits motion to a gripper finger 49. The card gripper fingers 40 are driven through the gear train described above and the machine timing is such that gripper fingers 40 are actuated once each machine cycle of operation. A'hand wheel 57 (Fig. 2) is provided on the main drive shaft 9 to permit the machine to be operated by hand if desired.

The eccentric position of stud 42 on disc 43 urges the gripper fingers 40 to follow an ovoidal path normal to the plane of reciprocation of the card pushers 18, so that the card gripping portions 36a and 37a of the fingers will engage the bottom card of the stack 16 to separate it from the remaining cardsin the stack. Referring to Fig. 2, it is noted that studs 41 guide gripper fingers 40 in their paths of travel to cause the fingers to swing outward and away from the stack 16 on the lower portion of the up stroke and in toward the stack 16 on the upper portion of the up stroke. On the upper portion of the down stroke studs 4'51. act as fulcrums to urge gripper fingers 46 toward stack 16. However further motion toward stack 16 by the gripper fingers 40 is prevented by the edge of the gripped card itself. During the lower portion of the down stroke the gripper fingers continue to grip the bot tom card of stack 16 and flex the ends of the card downward. When driving studs 42 have rotated upward through approximately 90 from the position shown in Fig. 2, extensions 37a of the gripper fingers 48 engage the under surface of the bottom card of stack 16 and thereby limit the motion of the gripper fingers allowing them to travel only inwardly toward the stack of record cards during the remaining part of the upper stroke. This is permitted through the resilient mounting of gripper fingers 40 on spring 44. Pushers 18 are actuated at approximately the three-quarter point of the down stroke and move the separated card through the throat opening during the following portion of downward movement of studs 42. The bottom record card in stack 16 is thus gripped at both of its ends by the card gripper fingers 40, as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 2, which pull the ends of the card down below the lower extremities of bars 34 and 35. The body of the card still reclines on the top portions of pushers 18 in front of blade members 30. The machine timing is such that the pushers 18 are then actuated to slide in toward the machine, the blade member 30 pushing the record card before it to feed the card between the first set of machine feed rollers 31.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form. and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sheet feeding device, a magazine frame holding a stack of records, said frame being formed with two vertical side plates and a front extension, a plurality of sliding members in said frame for feeding said records, means for reciprocating said members, a plurality of guide bars carried by said frame and a gripper finger located near each side plate for moving the ends of the bottom record of said stack to a position below the lower extremities of said bars, thereby enabling a record to be fed out of said magazine by said member, said finger comprising an inner spring strip and an outer spring strip spaced in parallel relationship, an extension member formed at the upper end of the inner strip and disposed at approximately a right angle with the inner strip, a knife edge carried by the upper end of the outer strip, said knife edge being inclined toward the inner strip to extend slightly above said extension member, whereby said record is gripped between said extension member and said knife edge.

2. In a sheet feeding device, a magazine frame holding a stack of records, said frame being formed with two vertical side plates and a front extension, a plurality of sliding members in said frame for feeding said records, means for operating said members, a gripper finger having record gripping portions located near each side plate, a stud for slidably mounting each finger, said stud guiding each finger in movement, and means cooperating with the studs for operating said gripper fingers to urge each of said fingers to slide on its respective stud and move in an ovoidal path, so that the record gripping portions will move outwardly and away from the side edges of said stack of records on the lower portion of the up stroke of said gripper fingers and in toward the stack of records on the upper portion of the up stroke, a record being moved on the down stroke of said gripper fingers into a position to be fed out of said magazine by said members. I

3. In a sheet feeding device, a magazine frame holding a stack of record cards, said frame being formed with two vertical side plates and a front extension, a plurality of card pushers for feeding said record cards sliding in said frame in a horizontal plane, means for reciprocating said pushers, a gripper finger having card gripping portions located near each side plate, a stud for slidably mounting each finger, said stud guiding each finger in movement, and means cooperating with the studs for operating said gripper fingers to urge each of said fingers to slide on its respective stud and move in an ovoidal path normal to the plane of reciprocation of said pushers, so that the card gripping portions will move outwardly and away frpm the side edges of said stack of record cards on the lower portion of the up stroke of said gripper fingers and in toward the stack of record cards on the upper portion of the up stroke, a card being moved on the down stroke of said gripper fingers into a position to be fed out of said magazine by said pushers.

4. In a record feeding device for feeding records successively, a magazine frame for holding a stack of such records, said frame being formed with two vertical side plates and a front extension having a throat opening through which the records are fed singly, a plurality of sliding members under said stack in said magazine for feeding said records, means for reciprocating said members, a plurality of guide bars carried by said frame, and a gripper finger located near each side plate for moving the ends of the bottom record of said stack to a position below the lower extremities of said guide bars, thereby enabling a record to be fed through said throat opening and out of said magazine by said members, said finger comprising an inner spring strip and an outer spring strip spaced in parallel relationship, an extension, member formed at the upper end of the inner strip and disposed at approximately a right angle with the inner strip, a knife edge carried by the upper end of the outer strip, said knife edge being inclined toward the inner strip to extend slightly above said extension member, whereby said record is gripped between said extension member and said knife edge.

5. In a record feeding device for feeding record cards successively, a magazine frame for holding a stack of such record cards, said frame being formed with two vertical side plates extending upwardly from a base plate having a plurality of openings therein and a front extension, a plurality of sliding members in said base plate for feeding said cards, means for reciprocating said members, a plurality of guide bars carried by said frame, and a plurality of gripper fingers for moving the ends of the bottom card of said stack to a position below the lower extremities of said bars, thereby enabling a card to be fed out of said magazine by said members, one gripper finger projecting between said opening in said base plate, there being an opening disposed in close proximity to each side plate, each gripper finger having a knife edge to separate the bottom card from the stack and a cooperating extension member to engage the bottom card while said gripper fingers move in toward the stack of cards to separate the bottom card from the stack.

5. In a record feeding device, a gripper finger for removing the bottom record from a stack to a feeding position, said finger comprising an inner spring strip and an outer spring strip spaced in parallel relationship, an extension member formed at the upper end of the inner strip and disposed at approximately a right angle with the inner strip, a knife edge carried bythe upper end of the outer strip, said knife edge being inclined toward the inner strip to extend slightly above said extension member, whereby a card is gripped between said knife edge and said extension member for removal from the stack.

7. In a sheet feeding device, a magazine frame holding a stack of records, said frame being formed with two vertical side plates and a front extension, a plurality of sliding members in said frame for feeding said records, means for operating said members, a gripper finger located near each side plate, each finger comprising an inner spring strip and an outer spring strip spaced in parallel relationship, an extension member formed at the upper end of the inner strip and disposed at approximately a right angle with the inner strip, a knife edge carried by the upper end of the outer strip, said knife edge being inclined toward the inner strip to extend slightly above said extension member, a stud positioned between said inner and outer strips for guiding the finger in movement, and means for operating each gripper finger to urge each of said fingers to follow an ovoidal path, so that the extension member and knife edge will move outward and away from the side edges of said stack of records on the lower portion of the up stroke of the gripper fingers and in toward the stack of records on the upper portion of the up stroke, a record being moved on the down stroke of said gripper fingers into a position to be fed out of said magazine by said members.

8. In a sheet feeding device, a magazine frame holding a stack of record-s, said frame being formed with two vertical side plates and a front extension, a plurality of sliding members in said frame for feeding said records, means for operating said members, a gripper finger including an inner strip and an outer strip spaced in parallel relationship and having record gripping portions located near each side plate, a pair of spacers interposed between said inner strip and said outer strip, a stud extending into the space separating said strips between said spacers to slidably mount each finger thereon, said stud guiding each finger in movement, resilient means extending between one of said spacers and each stud and means cooperating with the studs for operating said gripper fingers to urge each of said fingers to slide on said studs and move in an ovoidal path, so that the record gripping portions will move outwardly and away from the side edges of said stack of records on the lower portion of the up stroke of said gripper fingers and in toward the stack of records on the upper portion of the up stroke, a record being moved on the down stroke of said gripper fingers into a position to be fed out of said magazine by said members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,588,843 Labombarde June 15, 1926 1,689,756 Swangren Oct. 30, 1928 2,636,733 Lewis Apr. 28, 1953 

